The only time it matters to have Sano, Rosario and Buxton on the same team is when they are all ready for the major league team. Fortunately, we won't have to wait too long to see that. I expect both Sano and Rosario to make their Twins debuts before the All-Star break in 2014. I wouldn't be surprised to see Buxton in a Twins uni in September of 2014.

I am very much against the idea of Buxton skipping A+, especially because the Florida State League is a pitcher's league.
That being said, Cardinals 2B prospect Kolten Wong (who made pretty much every top-100 list this past year in the 75-100 range) went from A-ball in 2011 as a 20 year old (.911 OPS) to AA-ball in 2012 as a 21 year old (.754 OPS) and is now in AAA as a 22 year old (.835 OPS).
It can, and has been done, but with a prospect like Buxton, it isn't worth the risk.

Kohl Stewart is a High School draftee. He should start at Elizabethton or the GCL. It would be crazy to send him to A Ball in Cedar Rapids for the last half of this season. Buxton will be promoted after the Kernals win the first half championship in a few days.

Thankfully Ft. Myers doesn't play this weekend (All-Star Break). Otherwise my trip to Cedar Rapids this weekend might not include seeing Buxton play. I have no doubts he will be in Ft. Myers soon after. Can't wait to watch them on Friday night.

I have said it before but the only reason that you push Buxton to AA this year is so you can call him up early (April/May) next year. 1/2 a season in Ft Myers and 1/2 a season in NB and that allows him to be called up if he is considered ready. That's fast enough for me.

Isn't that kind of the point? Some people are just better at some things than others. Maybe his pace should be getting to AA this year. It's not about it being a race, per se. It's about letting his talent be tested in the proper environment. If somebody is just flat out better than everyone he's playing with, isn't it time to start looking to move him to a more suitable environment?

I'm not really advocating anything as of yet, cause I'm assuming he'll hit A+ in a couple weeks or so, and then we start learning more. But I think keeping an open mind to anything with ludicrous talent makes sense.

The biggest knock on Buxton seems to be his understanding of stealing bases. Really? That's hardly important enough to hold somebody back. If he hits again at Ft. Myers, why not think about New Britain this year? It's not necessary? What does necessary have to do with it. The question should be "can he benefit from it?", and so far I think the evidence says he might. If he stumbles at Ft. Myers, so be it, but if he rips it up, we probably have one of those once-in-a-blue-moon talents that you should be willing to alter your normal pattern for.

Isn't that kind of the point? Some people are just better at some things than others. Maybe his pace should be getting to AA this year. It's not about it being a race, per se. It's about letting his talent be tested in the proper environment. If somebody is just flat out better than everyone he's playing with, isn't it time to start looking to move him to a more suitable environment?

I'm not really advocating anything as of yet, cause I'm assuming he'll hit A+ in a couple weeks or so, and then we start learning more. But I think keeping an open mind to anything with ludicrous talent makes sense.

The biggest knock on Buxton seems to be his understanding of stealing bases. Really? That's hardly important enough to hold somebody back. If he hits again at Ft. Myers, why not think about New Britain this year? It's not necessary? What does necessary have to do with it. The question should be "can he benefit from it?", and so far I think the evidence says he might. If he stumbles at Ft. Myers, so be it, but if he rips it up, we probably have one of those once-in-a-blue-moon talents that you should be willing to alter your normal pattern for.

Excellent post.

The Nervous Nellies and their excessive "nellieness" simply doesn't apply to guys like Trout, Machado, and hopefully, Buxton.

The most recent argument used for objecting Buxton's rapid progression was his supposed "slumping badly" May. His "slump" in that month produced a .294 BA with an .834 OPS- a number that still would have placed him in the top ten in the Midwest League. Furthermore, his last 10 game statistics (half of which were in the month of May) are above his April otherworldliness numbers, producing a slash line of .463/.500/.683/.1183. So yeah, he's made the "adjustments to the adjustments", just as many of us predicted he would. (Even overcoming a minor injury in the process).

If we really want to "just let him move up at his own pace", look to Trout and Machado as examples, not the Standard Operating Procedure inherent in the usual Twins promotion schedule.